Flatiron



19, 1952 w. J. RUSSELL 2,607,138

FLATIRON Filed May 10, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l mm 7 a Z] woe/MM MLLJA J Ruks sELL Aug. 19, 1952 w. J. RUSSELL 2,607,138

FLATIRON Filed May 10, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MLLJM J QussELL Aug. 19, 1952 v w. J. RUSSELL 2,607,138

FLATIRON Filed May 10, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 k c H M/I LLJAM J QUGSELL Patented Aug. 19, 1952 2- UNIT ED STATES 1 o FicE- j FLATIRON Application May 10,195Q,-Serial'1\ lo. is' 1,1 2f7[. 1 g

1 Claim. (01. 3874)' '-'-I he present invention relates to an electric flatiron and more particularly to an electric flatiron 'of novel construction having many unexpected advantages from a use standpoint, particularly-in respect to the marked decrease in fatigue which is experienced by a user of the flatiron' of'this invention as compared with the fatigue normally resulting from the use of conventional flatirons. The use of electric flatirons normally requires a substantial expenditure of effort, is time consuming, and generally entails a'certain degree of concentration on the part of the operator to be sure that the ironing movements employed produce satisfactory results and utilize to the fullest extent possible the capabilities of the flatiron employed. This results in an alarming degree of fatigue on the part of the operator which renders ironing one of the most difficult and tiresom of household chores.

A basic object of the present invention is to provide'an'electric flatiron which makes it relatively easyto iron, both from the standpoint of readi1y measurable 'factors', such as the amount "of time required to complete a given work load,

and also from the standpoint of more difliculty measured but probably more important factors such as reduction in tension and fatigue experi-- enced by the user.

A'more. specific. object ofthe'invention is to provide an electric flatiron whichpermits' the use of less fatiguing ironing technique; such as by permitting the user to employ easy natural strokes in operating the iron without loss of ironing efficiency and by allowing theoperator to effectively handle interruptions in the-surface being ironed,

such as, pleats, buttons. loops,- and the like,'wi thout limitation tospecific stylized manipulations oftheiron.m

Another-specific object orthepresent invention isto provide an electric flatironof the character referred to which has a considerably larger iron ing'sur'face than. that normally present in conventional'i'ro'ns and yetwhich does not suffer a disadvantage from aweight standpoint; in fact,

a flatiron of the character referred to which is easier to control during ironing in that the positio'n of the iron and, particularly, the periphery thereof is visible over a wide angle of viewand the travel of the iron can be accurately'observed, eventhough sweeping strokes are employed, without the need for excessive body movement on the partfof the operator. Other objects will be m part obvious and in part pointed 'out more in detail hereinafter.

' The invention accordingly consists in the features'of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicatedinthe appended claim. M V

' In the drawin gs V Figure 1 is a side View of a 'completelyassem bled electric flatiron embodying the present invention,

= Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the soleplate of the iron, v

Figure 3 is a, plan view of the completely as sembled iron shown in Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view'of the soleplate; and I I r Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the soleplate showing the manner in which the boundaries thereof are determined As mentioned above,.it is a principal object of the .present invention to provide an electric fiatiron which is notablejorithe way in which it reduces fatigue on the part of the user, and the novel construction Of the flatiron of the present invention has been discovered for attaining this aim without regard to any existing theories of flatiron design and construction, most of which areIeffective in theory only and when reduced to practice do not actually enhance the operation of the iron. The invention of'the applicants novel construction is borne out by the fact that extensive testshave proved that an average operator provided with the flatiron of the present invention can eifect a saving of as high as 50% in the time required to complete a given ironing load, ascompared with that required when using conventional irons, and experiences a very distinct relief from fatigue'and tensions. Various theories might be advanced to explain the greatly unexpected and superior results-obtained by the use-of the flatiron of thepresent invention-but it is not'desired 't'o'rely on any such theories and the following description will belc'lirectedspecifically to a definition of the actual embodiment of invention is partly conventional, in that it includes a soleplate ID, a shell or cover 20 resting on the upper surface of the soleplate for enclosing the electrical connections, thermostat, etc. (not shown), and a super-deck 30 mounted on the top of the shell and provided with a handle 49. As best'sho'wn 'in Figure 3 of the drawings, the super-deck 3D and handle 40 are disposed somewhat to the rear of the iron and a portion of the super-deck indicated at 31 actually overhangs the rear portion or heel of the iron. This construction not only gives the iron a stream-lined appearance but also permits the iron to be stood on end when not in use, the. iron resting on the rear edges of the super-deck and handle. The

shell 28 has an outer periphery 2| conforming generally to the periphery Ill of the upper surface l2 of the soleplate It! so as to provide a smooth substantially continuous side surface on the iron.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings,- the soleplate [0' has an outer periphery l3 which is generally teardrop shaped. Referrin to the'diagrainmatic view of Figurefi, it-will be seen that the periphery I3 is actually a substantially continuous curve formed by three; par-ti-circular portions indicated at I4, l5 and [-6, respectively. The parti-circular portionl4- is substantially a semi-circle, the completed circle being indicated for purposes ofiHustration by dot and dash lines A a-ndthe center being indicated at B. The portion of-the periphery indicated by reference numeral' I5 is a portion; of a much larger circle indicated partially by the'dot-anddash line C having a center D disposed on anextension of the minor axis (point of greatest width) of the soleplate [-0 indicated by dot-and dash line E. Sim.- ilarly, the portion of the periphery indicated at I6 is formed by a substantially equal circleshown partially by dash and dotline F and having a center (not shown) which: is similar to the. center D but disposed at the opposite side of the soleplate. I have found that an important factorin obtaining the improved and unexpected results of. the iron. of the. present invention is to construct the circles C and vF'w-ith a radius approximately three times that of the circle A. Theintersection of. the partircylindrical'. edge portions l5 and [6; which. is indicated at II, forms the point or toeof the iron and the angle of. intersection. is approximately 90 degrees... v

The. point I! may also .be determined by thein tersectionof two lines indicated by dot anddash linesG and H, which lines G and H intersectlat an. angle of approximately 45. degrees and are drawn tangential to. the circlev A. -The overall length of. the soleplateis. approximately 7.5%v

greater than the maximum. width as measured along line'E. I r I It has-beenjound' thatan iron provided with; a soleplate formed in; accordance with the inventi'onand having a periphery defined as set forth abovecanqbe freely moved over a-sur face tobe ironed in any direction with equally desirable results, such as; freedom from. wrinkling, and the ironing operation therefore, not limited-to movements; substantially in-the direction of the long axis-oithe soleplate. Asa-consequence, the operator may move. the iron in free sweeping strokes using. natural armmovementsinwhatever direction will mcst'quickly cover the surf-ace being 'ironedjand without any concern as to Whether good ironing results will be obtained. Furthermore; since deviation from any fixed course of movement does. not produce poor results; the operator rarely has to go over the same surface twice. In the use of conventional irons the operator normally moves the iron mainly by bending the elbow, thereby producing a linear reciprocating ironing motion. When the iron of the present invention is utilized, however, it is possible to swing the entire arm in a sweeping curved motionwithout materially bending the elbow, which greatly increases the area of ironing sur face which is covered by an ironing stroke, and also permits the user to employ the larger arm muscles with a consequent decrease in strain and fatigue.

' While one of the important characteristics of the flatir-on of the'present invention is the manner in which the periphery of the soleplate is ill) formed, as described above, the advantages of this construction from the standpoint of providing a fiatiron which will be effective for markedly reducing fatigue can be fully realized only by the use thereof in conjunction with a; second-pimportantfeature of theflat-iron of my invention, whiclr is a unique small angle bevel, formed by incliningthe edge portions: of the soleplate at a critically small angle. 1 The bevel. of the soleplate is best shown in the cross-sectional. views of: Figures 2- and 4- of thedrawings, and gives the soleplate a flared, skirt-like appearance. In the specific embodiment, the angle of bevel is 39-degrees to the plane of the soleplate exceptat the toe H- where the intersectionor joinder of-curved peripheral portions. 1-5 and It produces a bevel at the point which is at an? angle-of approximately 30 degrees. In general, it is desired to provide the soleplate of the'electric flatiron of thepresent invention with: a bevel such that the. peripheral; surface ofthe' soleplate is at an angle-to-t-he plane of the soleplate within the range-ofBfl t-o'efil degrees.

:An important advantage of such: a: mall angle bevel for the solepl'ateflt has been discoveredris' that itpermits any peripheral portion" of, thesole plate'zto 'be used for ironingaround buttons, pleats; and the like, the extremities being. sufficiently thiniat all" points to: be inserted under-.1 neaththebutton, or fold of cloth, etc; from any approach. Inasmuch as the iron can be moved in any direction with good ironing results. and will. be so" operated: bya: skillful user; the ability to handle 'iinterruptions in' the: surface being ironed from any approaclris an important factorin' eliminating waste motionl suchv as "is: caused if only a particular limited notchedportion'. of the soleplate, for example, could be utilized. for thispurpose. It'has been observedin accordance withthe present-invention, that itis: possible' to a button or .pleat',.or the like, from any direction.

and as a continuation of a regular ironing'stroke asabove. described. There .is thus elimi'na'tedlthe' need; i-or excessive use of and reliance .jupon the toe portion-of the ironwhich frequently causes the operator to. place excessive fbrce amt/he toe.

of the iron. and actuallypartiallyfliit the remains.

portion of. the soleplate from the estimate ing ironed. Such-inefiicient use of the flatiron may be entirely avoided by the use-of thepresent invention. 1 a

A further advantage of the use of a small angle bevel extending around the edge portions of the soleplate together with the manner in which the edge portions are curved as above defined, is that the ironing surface or area of the iron may be increased to at least 50% over that of conventional irons of equivalent weight. Ina commercial embodiment of the present invention utilizing readily available materials there is provided a bottom ironing surface of 34 square inches in an iron weighing only 3 pounds, this being well within the weight range of 3 to 3 pounds which is found to be preferable for good ironing results, while at the same time requiring a minimum effort on the part of the operator. In the commercial embodiment referred to, the diameter of the circle A (of Fig. 5) is 5% inches which results in a soleplate having a maximum width of 5% inches and a length of 9% inches.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the draw- 1 ings, the enlarged ironing surface provided by the soleplate l0 and the small angle bevel extending around the edge portions of the soleplate together with the shape of the soleplate renders the periphery of the soleplate easily viewable at all times by the operator when in the normal operating position, and the periphery is not obscured in any way by the super-structure and handle or by the hand of the operator. This permits the operator to follow the movements of the iron throughout without shifting body position and also makes it possible to utilize more efficiently the particular portion of the periphery of the iron desired for ironing around buttons, and the like, without need for changing the direction of the iron, i. -e., the position in which the iron happens to be moved into contact with the button, pleat, or the like.

It will be noted by reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawing that the formation of the bevel at a small angle renders the bevel much wider for a given thickness of soleplate both in the plane of the bevel and in plan view which creates an optical illusion that the soleplate is smaller in area and thinner than ,it actually is and enhances the stream-lined appearance of the iron. In the commercial embodiment of the invention the soleplate adjacent to the beveled edge is approximately inch in thickness, thus creating a bevel which is inches wide. The use of a wide bevel also has an advantageous effect upon the balance of the iron rendering the iron easier to handle and stand on end.

The manner in which the soleplate is secured to the remainder of the iron is not shown in detail in the drawings, inasmuch as such fastening means is well known in the art and does not form part of the present invention. As illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, the soleplate may be provided with a plurality of bosses l8 which are suitably tapped for receiving fastening bolts or studs (not shown).

In a specific embodimentof the invention it is preferred to utilize a so-called high-wattage heating element, i. e 1000 watts or more, which will be capable of providing sufficient heat to compensate for the accelerated heat transfer resulting from the increased ironing rate of which my fiatiron is capable.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, the heating element indicated at 22 may be encased in insulating material 23 and disposed in a protective metal sheath 24 which is cast within a U-shaped welt 25 extending around the upper portion of the soleplate and spaced from the V 6 outer periphery. Such a disposition of the heating element, it has been found, will effectively produce an even heat throughout the bottom surface of the soleplate.

As mentioned above, the completed flatiron of the present invention provides a construction having many unexpected and useful advantages which cannot be predicated on any existing theories of flatiron construction, nor are these advantages merely additive of the various features embodied in the iron, there being an apparent unexpected coaction leading to the novel and highly useful results obtained. Extensive tests have proved that the flatiron of my, invention will greatly reduce ironing fatigue and will materially decrease the number of strokes and time required to complete a given ironing work load and, in general, will make ironing easier and faster without any sacrifice of desirable ironing results.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

An electric flatiron effective for reducing the time and effort required in hand ironing operations comprising a soleplate having a flat bottom ironing surface of generally teardrop shape formed with a substantially semi-circular heel portion and with parti-circular side edges which form a gradually curved continuation of the edge of the heel portion, said side edges having a radius of curvature of approximately three times that of the heel portion, said soleplate being formed with an edge surface which is inclined inwardly and upwardly from the plane of the bottom ironing surface at a small angle in the range of 30 to 40 degrees throughout the entire periphery of the soleplate and said soleplate having an upper surface defined by a relatively thick outer edge portion generally similar in configuration to that of the lower ironing surface but inset and spaced inwardly therefrom to form,

in combination with said inclined edge surface;

WILLIAM J. RUSSELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,262,667 Dafforn et al. Nov. 11, 1941 2,271,371 Harding Jan. 27, 1942 2,373,248 Lucia Apr. 10, 1945 2,476,663 Holden July 19, 1949 

